I've never seen multiple readers in a bookstore. The closest, Target (not a bookstore) briefly had the Kindle and Sony Reader in stock at the same time when they transitioned to Kindle-only. Now they have neither in-store!

But as the largest brick-and-mortar bookseller in the US has their own e-Reader, the Nook, they have no incentive to put other models in-store. That damned lock-in keeps variety out of the bookstore and out of the question.

-Pie

Oops. I think it was Target the person in a thread I was reading (looking at impressions of a booklight) was talking about. Sorry!

I haven't been to any electronics retailers lately so I can't say if our equivalent (Currys or Comet) is any better.

Borders and Best Buy are next door to each other here, and both have several ereader choices. The only overlap between them is Sony - but neither pushes Sony as hard as they push their other choices. You can see six brands without having to move your car.

You must be looking in strange places... in the UK, Birmingham, High Street Waterstones not only has Sonys on display (both 350 & 650 and in stock) but also has some elonex and Bookeen Opus at the moment also in stock...

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Quote:

Originally Posted by elizilla

Borders and Best Buy are next door to each other here, and both have several ereader choices. The only overlap between them is Sony - but neither pushes Sony as hard as they push their other choices. You can see six brands without having to move your car.

Looks like I'm standing (laying on the bed) corrected!

The Borders in my area shut down, sadly. And my BBs had the Sony on display, but nothing else... oh, maybe the Nook too, but like on a bottom shelf, and not for demo IIRC. Of course, there are much larger BBs than the ones in my area. I sure hope the prevalence of eReaders in stores becomes more prominent, even in the smaller stores, as that's good all-around for the industry!

BTW, I'm not counting the iPad or any other of that ilk because (a) it's not a dedicated eReader, and (b) it uses LCD... which, I admit, is snobbery on my part -- but snobbery in a good way!

I haven't been over there since I had to replace my phone this past spring when I laundered it (oops). Best Buy is not a place I am fond of - the cacaphony gives me a headache. But I was in there this spring for a phone, and looked at the readers in both stores while I was there.

Best Buy had the PRS350 and PRS950, but the display was deteriorating and I wouldn't be surprised if it is gone by now. Neither of the demo devices had anything on their screens. Broken, batteries dead, who knows? They also had a Nook display and a Kindle display, both in much better repair. And there were several tablet style readers with fancy displays. The backlit screens were more alluring in that dim, cluttered, overstimulated environment than the eInk devices. If I didn't already like eInk I probably would never look twice at it, in there.

Over at Borders it is quieter; a more pleasant reader shopping experience. They had wide counters at a comfortable height, and each reader sitting alone in a large empty space. I'm not sure what brands they all were. There was a Kobo, and there were some much less expensive readers that used displays like a digital watch, not sure what you call that kind of screen. Not eInk, not backlit. Greenish, with ugly square fonts? They definitely looked more primitive and clunky. There was a spot with a sign proclaiming the Sony Touch, but no actual device there at the time, and there was a PRS350 that, like Best Buy's, had a blank screen. Not very appealing I am afraid. I assume by now Borders will have a nice display for the new Kobo, but I haven't been in lately.

You must be looking in strange places... in the UK, Birmingham, High Street Waterstones not only has Sonys on display (both 350 & 650 and in stock) but also has some elonex and Bookeen Opus at the moment also in stock...

Well, if other Waterstones stores are strange places to check on Waterstones' ereader policies, yes, we are looking in strange places.

My "local" is Taunton, 3 floors, large, the one I use most, big is Exeter, middling is Tiverton.

All, in my experience, have brilliant staff that seem to really enjoy books, and helping you to get the book you want. Never had a bad experience in any Waterstones store.
They started with a very simple basic premise, I suppose, and still seem to live by it.
The Taunton staff were really helpful when I got my 650, and very helpful in tracing a 350 for me from their central distribution. Also very nice in showing me the screen that said no more stock coming, and the problems they had with Sony support.

They didn't know why - in all 3 stores - suddenly all their ereading stuff (covers, chargers, readers etc...) not just Sony, appeared in a "generic" blueish pack, instead of the maker's packaging. But when I ordred the 350, it arrived in the original Sony livery. I found that a bit odd - who paid for the identical packaging, I wonder ?

Last edited by carpetmojo; 07-06-2011 at 07:01 PM.
Reason: missed a bit......

My experience of Waterstone's has generally been positive. I echo the comments of carpetmojo that the staff in their stores seem to know their stuff, and DO like reading themselves. Always a bonus when working in a bookshop! I was peeved to be sold a(n) (ex)display model PRS-350 though. They didn't say it was, but I guessed when looking in the bag on the way home - as the box had been taped up, instead of being fastened with the usual circular stickers. I knew once I opened it up that it was the same model I had been playing with. Not being familiar with eReaders at all I didn't realise at the time the zoom and options buttons didn't work. Once I realised I couldn't change fonts I took it to another branch and got a replacement - no questions asked.

The original store (Carmarthen) is a little smallish - two floors, and only really stocking bestsellers and the usual vampire/gothic/whatever fashionable teenage fiction. The second store I went to was Aberystwyth - a tiny single storey store. Both stores had Sony displays with Sony branding and the Touch and Pocket on show. In the former, both models were non-functional (batteries dead; or just dead).

I was disappointed with he first store as the young chap serving me was really enthusiastic and extremely helpful. No doubt he wasn't aware of the faults in the device I was sold, but I would have preferred he told me I was being sold an opened-box product. The staff at the other branch were lovely.